Thursday, April 23, 2009

Get out and walk

Most everyday that I'm on Kauai I walk. I need to purchase a pedometer to see just how many miles I clock. Do you know of a good, reliable, inexpensive pedometer? If so please let me know.

I don't know if it's the beauty of the island itself, the call of the beach, or the tradewind breezes that urge me to get outside. I know where I live in California is a beautiful place too but when I'm there and tell myself to take a walk I do it grudgingly or more often than not I make excuses to not walk. Why is that?

I have to leave this place tomorrow so I'm packing up my things to put back in the storage closet and cleaning but I wonder what it would be like to stay longer. Would I be able to live here? It's a possibility but would I really want to live here full time? I need to come over and spend some real time here, a month or two and then assess how I feel. With my youngest son graduating from high school this year that possibility becomes more real.

Things certainly slow down when on island, Hawaiian time. The maximum speed limit is 50 and that's only on a few straight-a-ways. This gives you an idea of slowing down. As soon as I hit the highway in California you can just feel the pace picking up a few notches and you're off to that lifestyle. And as I said I walk a lot when I'm here, my world becomes smaller and closer to nature. I gather, shells, seed pods, bark, driftwood, rocks, feathers, small crab shells and dried up sea urchins that have been washed ashore Why? I find them unusual and interesting.

I have good friends here. I told you about Connie and I taking some art classes together. I went to Bea's the other night and we made chili rellanos, I'm also meeting her for drinks and pupu's a little later this afternoon. Yesterday I went to lunch at my friend's near Kapa'a and spent the whole afternoon chatting with Tish and listening to her husband Heifara play his new ukelele and also the wooden nose flutes he carves. Heifara also makes jewelry, He weaves fine coconut fibers into necklaces, bracelets, and earrings adding Tahitian pearls, carved bone or shell, and sea shells. Here are a few pieces of his that I have. Notice the fine weaving and the tiki mermaid carved from horn.

These were shells Heifara found on the beach. See how he has woven a little cocoon for each shell?

This is the bracelet that Heifara gave me during the visit. I love his work and appreciate his hospitality and giving nature. Likewise for Tish! She too is a talented lady and so generous and full of Aloha.

I'll fly home tomorrow and begin to dream of returning. My husband wrote a song about that ........."I don't wanna leave the place I've grown fond ofDon't wanna get on that silver bird and fly awayIt's growin' on me like ivy up a stone wallStarting to take root in my someway" .............

Altered Couture Magazine

I am primarily a fiber artist: a weaver, a dyer of cloth, creator of altered cloth books and art, and a designer of garments and accessories. I have a studio in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California where I immerse myself in projects and gaze out over the hills to the Monterey Bay. I write a little poetry from time to time and songs too. I have a great family, two sons, a husband, and joint custody of 2 cats, Moo and Ducky.